The Avengers II
by Blodhgarm229
Summary: The Avengers meet a new ally to help them defeat a renegade SHIELD base.
1. Chapter 1

The Avengers II: Rise of the Outcast

Nick Fury, director of SHIELD, strode past the befuddled agents. "What do you mean, 'They've gone rogue'?!" he roared in their faces. "They can't have!"

The two agents had run in just seconds ago, yelling about a call from one of their isolated bases on the ground. The base had been attacked by another one, and communications had been cut off from the latter. But the biggest problem was that Eagleflight 1, the rogue base, was exactly where the Avengers initiative was. The six heroes had been sent there for "specialized training" by the agents from Eagleflight 1. Yet it was apparently a trap.

Fury roamed around his office, swinging his fist around. The patch over one eye only terrified the already-frightened agents more. "Morales! Sanders! Go try to get communications back! We need to contact the Avengers!" The agents nodded vigorously and ran out of the door, nearly stumbling over each other.

Running his hands over his bald head, Fury sighed and attempted to ease the frown that stretched across his brow. They had had enough trouble with Loki. Now they had a rogue base to take care of. What next?

_I just hope that somehow the Avengers will figure it out before it's too late._

At Eagleflight 1, a crimson and gold figure streaked around a tall building, flying at great speeds. Another figure followed, but it held a strange hammer and a red cape flowed behind it. The two heroes, Iron Man and Thor, were training; practicing their flight abilities.

On the ground, four agents trained in martial arts had their hands full with a fiery-haired, leather-clad young woman. Black Widow was kicking and punching her way out of their tight circle. Soon they were all on the ground.

Kneeling on top of the tall building that Iron Man and Thor were flying around was Hawkeye, probably the greatest archer in history. He was aiming carefully at a round object with red, white, and blue stripes on it. Hawkeye let the arrow fly, and it hit directly in the center of a large star on the shield. Captain America, the first Avenger, waved at him and shouted up, "Right on the center, as usual!"

Once they had finished their different training sessions, the Avengers got together and discussed the finer points. Thor and Iron Man were disputing over who the fastest was until Captain America said, "Okay, guys. Forget it. We're just here to train, not argue."

As tempers cooled, Black Widow (a.k.a. Natasha Romanov) asked curiously, "Where's Bruce?"

Bruce Banner, who had a tendency to accidently release a monstrous green being, the Hulk, within himself whenever he became angry, had not shown up for training. Not that this was unusual; he was usually in his lab.

After a few minutes of wondering, Hawkeye spotted Bruce walking toward them. "Hey. Sorry I didn't come. The birds were pretty hungry, so I fed them a few crumbs."

"More like a whole loaf," laughed Tony Stark from within his armor. The playboy had flipped up his face mask and had a huge grin plastered over his face now.

"Okay, okay," smirked Bruce. "I also have some bad news. We all have to go to our rooms immediately. Well, I guess _immediately _was, like, five minutes ago. So we'd best go right now."

The six Avengers were puzzled, but did as Bruce said and went into the building. Tony pressed the button for the elevator and waited. Soon they all climbed in and were going up to their sound-proof rooms. When they reached their floor, the button dinged and they got out. Thor's room was the closest, so he had his hand on the handle when a faint scream down the long hallway. It was getting closer. Thor gripped his hammer tighter and moved toward the sound.

An agent ran into the hallway and saw them. "Oh, I'm sorry. You all have to be in your rooms, please." Most of them half-heartedly complied after asking about the scream and hearing the quick answer, "I'm not allowed to tell you." But Captain America remained steadfast. "Is someone in pain?"

"No, I just…please, sir." Yet Captain pushed past the stuttering agent and strode down the hall. The agent had to jog to keep up with him. Another agent, dressed in protective clothing and pointing a gun at something behind him, came around the corner. Captain stopped short when more gun-toting agents came, directing the barrels of the guns at someone unseen. Five agents walked in then, struggling to carry something that appeared human.

It was a he. That Captain could tell by the masculine face. But the hair was long, shoulder-length, and wild; and the look in his green eyes was feral as well. He fought the agents restraining him with a passion, and had almost broken free when more agents rushed to hold him. An animal-like scream tore from his lips.

Steve Roger's (otherwise known as Captain America) mouth hung open as he watched the scene. He barely made out the words "Please, sir?" above the shouting. Stunned, Captain America allowed himself to be pushed into his room. The lock clicked from the outside as he was held a captive in his own room.

It was an hour or so before the locks were undone and the Avengers were set free. "What the heck happened?" Bruce asked Rogers, watching his face earnestly.

"I'm not sure…" The captain's voice trailed off. "It was all kind of fast. But I know what I saw was…horrific."

"What do you mean—horrific?" asked Thor in his deep voice. The Asgardian had not taken too kindly to being locked in his room. "And why the blazes did we get locked in? What is SHIELD up to this time?" If he had been on Asgard, the door probably would have been in splinters within seconds. But here on Earth, he used courtesy and did not blast doors unless he knew whoever locked him in was an enemy.

Black Widow tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear. "Strange. Yes, what do you mean, Steve?"

"I can't really describe it. It was a wild boy. A teenage boy. Agents were holding their guns to him. Really, it was strange. And his scream was…terrible."

"Like, terrible as in good terrible; or bad terrible?" joked Stark. Everyone else glared at him. "Sorry," he said sarcastically. "So, what the heck did this boy look like?"

"Like I said, I can't describe it. But if you saw what I did, you'd probably be just as I am right now. Kind of shaken, I suppose."

The Avengers all stood around awkwardly for some time. "Let's go down to the café," Natasha suggested. They went down the elevator to the second floor and stopped for coffee. But Steve didn't get anything. "I'm just not in the mood," he said. "I'm still wondering what is going on here. And why can't we contact Nick Fury?"


	2. What's Going On?

The Avengers II

Hawkeye immediately grabbed his comlink to SHIELD headquarters and pressed the button to send an SOS alert, but the comlink was dead. "Great," he muttered, fiddling with it. Tony Stark was already looking into the internal wires of the gadget.

"What do we do now?" Thor questioned. Captain America shook his head and turned around.

"Well," Stark said slowly. "I can't get this baby going" (he shook the comlink then) "but I can find out what's so fishy around here. And it's not the tuna I had for lunch, I can tell you that much." Stark drew out of his jacket a little device and went inside of his room. The others followed him in. Bruce nodded and had a knowing grin on his kindly face. Stark attached the device onto his computer and began to hack into the SHIELD systems. "Uh-huh…yep…right…okay…" he mumbled, trying to find whatever it was that he was looking for. "A teenage boy, huh? Well…here we go!" he shouted and began to read off of the screen. " 'Project Outcast—Outcast: 17 years old. Weighs a hundred and eighty-two pounds. Powers unlimited. Exercise extreme caution when near his cell.' Wow. Somebody's got amazingness."

Captain America stroked his chin while thinking. "Hmm. What else is there, Tony?"

"Not much, besides—oh, gosh."

"What?" Natasha said sharply.

"They'll be using this 'Outcast' for our training soon. Thankfully, it looks like they've put some sort of mental block in his brain and it keeps him from using all of his potential, but he's still really dangerous. I suggest immediate "get-out-of-here" action. What do you say, Cap?"

But the captain was still thinking. After a pause, Bruce said, "Well, I'm pretty sure they've got a good reason for all of this, right? After all, they wouldn't let the boy hurt us, and we'd make sure not to hurt him."

"No." Captain America's voice rang out. "What they want is for _us_ to train _him_. It's not very obvious, but that's how it's going to be. They want to subtly get us to train a lethal weapon."

"Are we going to do it?" Thor asked. "This seems out of hand. Perhaps we should leave. If we are to train such a powerful being to use as a weapon, I would rather go." All of the Avengers nodded but Captain America.

"But maybe we should stay. If we could find out more about this and then go, we could tell Nick all about it."

"What if he already knows?"

"I don't believe Nick would do such a thing," declared Captain America. "Eagleflight 1 is holding someone against their will, and as far as we can tell, he isn't an enemy."

Hawkeye nodded. "It's true. We do need to find out what is going on. Natasha and I will go try to find out where this Outcast is." He and the other spy left the room silently.

Bruce sat down in a chair and said, "Well, I can't do anything. After all, the boy might make the other guy come out. And we definitely don't want that."

"No, but you can stay here and monitor everything going on in Eagleflight 1 with Stark," Thor said. "I will go with Rogers when Hawkeye and Natasha return, so that we four might be able to glean some information from this Outcast."

"Sounds like a good plan," replied Steve. "Natasha knows how to get the information we need, and Barton isn't too bad at it, either." All of them sat down and waited for a half hour. Thor put his hammer down on the floor and sighed. Typing madly on a computer, Tony located the two spies coming back. "Here they come," he said. The door noiselessly opened, and Black Widow placed a dark boot on the floor and slid in. Without a sound, Hawkeye followed and closed the door. The archer nodded to Thor, who had been behind the door, and turned to Steve Rogers.

Steve asked him, "What's up?"

"The Outcast is held in a cell on the seventeenth floor. We can get there through a service elevator, or fly, even climb, to the floor. Tony could get us past the security bars." The stoic archer did not smile much, but the frown on his face was intensified even more than normal. "There are guards at the door. Many guards. But…"

"What?" Bruce questioned.

Black Widow answered when Hawkeye did not. "The Outcast is, like Steve said, is a teenage boy. That was evident, but he has a look about him that appears ancient. He could very well have healing power, and is older than everyone in this building. Maybe older than anyone living right now."

"But, there's more, isn't there?"

"It also seems that they are…torturing the boy. We both saw them apply electric shocks to him. We need to get him out of here."

"When?"

"As soon as possible," replied Hawkeye, getting back into the conversation. "That would be the best option."

"Then let's do it. Hawkeye and Black Widow, I'm certain you can use your tech to get up to the windows. I'll go through the service elevator, and Thor will fly up. Stark," Steve addressed the techno-hero, "you and Banner will stay here and monitor everything. And I mean _every little thing_. Got that?"

"Sure."

"All right. Avengers, let's go."


	3. Meeting Outcast

The Avengers II - Chapter 3

Four guards stood at a large, locked door. It appeared to be a huge safe door. One guard, by the name of Agent Hanson, shifted on his feet and looked down the long hallway. Another agent was coming down. Sunglasses and a hat obscured his features. "Identification, please," Agent Hanson ordered, and was met with a fist to his jaw. The other agents received the same treatment.

The "agent," a.k.a Steve Rogers ran back to the corner and snatched up his shield. Using it, he knocked off the lock and put his ear to the door, waiting for the knock that said that the others were inside. After three raps and one tap, he opened the door and stepped silently inside. He barely glimpsed Hawkeye and Black Widow slide into the shadows before they disappeared.

Thor nodded to him. "There," the Asgardian said and pointed to a strong steel table on the other side of the room. On it laid a tall, well-muscled teenage boy. His long black hair was spread out, but the jade eyes were closed.

Captain America felt a strange stab of fear through his heart. He had never felt such a fear before. Why was he?

"You feel the fear, do you not?" Thor whispered. "Even I, future king of Asgard, feel it." Steve nodded to him and moved cautiously forward. Stretching out a hand, he touched the back of the hand of the boy.

"Outcast?" he asked. An affirmative reply from Hawkeye came from within the shadows. "Outcast…" he said again, stretching the name out. "I wonder why they named him that." As he gazed down in horror and shock at the bruised and scarred skin on Outcast's face and chest, emerald eyes slowly opened and watched Steve with fear and anger in them.

Captain America backed away as Outcast started to struggle, but steel bands around his arms, legs, chest, and neck kept him from attacking the hero. An ear-splitting scream rent the air around them as Outcast bared perfect white teeth. Captain America was frozen in place. Black Widow leapt out of the shadow and threw the captain back. Hawkeye caught him. Thor lifted his hammer.

Natasha stared into the wide, ferocious eyes. Everyone else was seeing anger and hatred, ultimate loathing even; but Natasha saw terror and dread. This was a boy who had been tortured and beaten, almost never given a moment of rest; simply because of his powers.

The connection between them was severed when Outcast turned his head sharply and ebony hair covered his face. Natasha once again became the hardened spy and agent. She spun on her heel and faced the others. "What are we going to do?" she asked, but Hawkeye noticed her lips trembling.

Captain America turned back to the door and saw agents running down the hall. Shouts echoed off of the walls. "Get out of here," he said.

"We can't leave him!" Natasha said. The captain's eyes met hers and he said simply, "I know." Then he went to the window. Thor grabbed Steve's hand and rushed out through the window in a surge of wind, which blew hot tears out of Natasha's eyes. Hawkeye fired a bow and swung down out of sight. Soon Natasha was the only one there. The yells were very close. "Forgive me," she whispered to Outcast, and leapt out of the window. She fired her grapping hook gun and went flying down, her red whipping about her face. A _zap _and a violent scream punctuated the air around her. Guilt flashed through Natasha, but she continued down.

They all flew through their own window just in time and landed in a heap. A laugh came from the corner. "Well, aren't we all chummy!" chortled Tony Stark. A hammer whistled past his head and crashed into the wall behind him. "Missed," Tony said, but was just a bit concerned.

"No, I didn't miss," Thor said, rising up from the bottom of the pile. "I meant to hit the wall. But next time I might miss it."

Tony gulped, but said anyway, "So…what did you find?"

Thor and Hawkeye explained. Steve and Natasha were both too shook up to speak. Natasha sat in an overstuffed chair and leaned her head back. Remorse was washing through both her and Steve. "We could have saved him right then," Natasha whispered.

Hawkeye frowned deeper. "No, we couldn't have. We still don't know whose side he's on. Or even what side _we're_ on. If he hadn't been held down, he would have attacked us."

"You would too if you'd been abused like Outcast has," Steve objected. Bruce held out his hands, and the quarreling ceased. Everyone merely sat, thinking, for a while, before Bruce spoke up.

"This is going to sound bad, but I believe that we should go ahead with Eagleflight 1's plans. Perhaps if we do go along with it, then we'll find out more."

"They want us to fight him! How are we going to do that?" Captain America inquired.

"I guess we'll find out…" Tony muttered.

The next few days were uneventful. Merely lots of more training. But on the fifth day of waiting, all of them were called to a huge training room within the facility. It was big enough that even the massive Hulk could move around easily, with plenty of room. Soon a lone agent strolled in and demanded to see Captain America. Steve moved around the others and went to him. "Sir, we are going to have a special training session for all of you, so please prep your team."

Steve nodded and went back to the group. "Okay, I think this is it. We need to try to bring him down without hurting him, okay?" Everyone agreed, and Steve sent them out into strategic locations. Hawkeye was the "eyes above"; Natasha remained hidden in shadows. Bruce remained close to the corner, not sure what to do. Tony clanked in his armor to the center of the room with Thor, and Captain America shifted toward the wall, his shield held protectively in front of him. Everyone remained tense and alert; their senses hyperactive.

Unexpectedly, a quick female cry issued from the dark and Black Widow was tossed out, landing hard near Iron Man. All eyes went to the shadows, but nothing proceeded from the darkness. Then Hawkeye fell to the ground with a thud, dropping his bow. The impact left both spies breathless, and they panted on the floor for a few seconds before shakily standing up. It was at that moment that Iron Man pointed to a spot near the wall. "There," he said through his titanium mask and pointed both repulsors toward the place.

A quick snarl sounded through the training arena, amplified by the largeness of it, and Outcast shimmered into view, out of his invisibility. His eyes were no longer the regular green. This time, Steve saw that they were bright silver, with merely a hint of the original color. The boy walked slowly toward them, placing one foot directly in front of the other. Outcast's face was a mask of hatred.

This was going to be problematical.

_Why are they doing this to me? I didn't hurt anyone! Why are they making me fight these people? I heard about them. They're like me. Why should I fight people like me? _

_I hurt all over. The electric shocks are still going through me. I'm surprised that I don't twitch. But I can't let them know that I'm hurting; it will just make them laugh. Outcast. At least they named me right. Everywhere I go I'm an outcast. It doesn't make sense why people hate me. _

_Oh, no. They're coming at me. The metal one's going to shoot something at me! Why me? Why me..._

Steve lifted his shield at the crouching teen. Outcast had his eyes open, yes, but it appeared that he was in a completely different world. He was distant.

Just then, Thor swung his hammer. The impact threw Outcast across the room and crashing into a wall. The monstrous Hulk grabbed Outcast and hit him against the ground again and again. Steve hadn't even noticed that Bruce had let "the other guy" take over. But here he was, crunching Outcast under his foot now. But quicker than the normal human eye could see, two strong hands shot out from under Hulk's foot and grasped his ankle, throwing the large green giant to the ground. Outcast levitated up, no sign of a wound on him, and threw himself toward Thor, knocking the Asgardian to the ground.

A groan sounded around them as Thor climbed out of the small crater he had created. Outcast had become invisible again, and Iron Man was firing repulsor blasts all around them, but apparently not hitting his target. Then Black Widow put a hand to her belt, flipped something and pressed a button. Immediately Jarvis, Tony's computer, shut down the Iron Man sound system, and Tony couldn't hear a thing. Nor could the others. For this sound was meant for one pair of ears only. Jarvis had made sure that the technical systems were not damaged by it.

The extremely high-pitched sound made Outcast become visible again, and he hit the ground clutching his head. Hulk immediately seized Outcast and held him forcefully. When Outcast struggled and nearly got loose, Thor, Iron Man, and Hawkeye grabbed him and helped Hulk pin him down.

Captain America walked up to the restrained teenager, careful to keep his vibranium shield in front of him, and asked him, "Why are you attacking us?"

There was no answer. Hulk growled and squeezed harder, but still no reply came. Captain America asked the question again, and then a third time, yet a response was not uttered by the silent Outcast. Finally, Captain America gave up. "It's not going to work," he told Black Widow.

"Let me try. Maybe we need to appear as a friend," she suggested quietly and stepped in front of Outcast. "Please tell us, why are you attacking us? We don't actually want to hurt you." Again, there was a deadly silence. Black Widow waited for a minute or so and then turned around. "I'm not going to hurt him. I don't have the heart."

"Let him go," Captain America ordered. Reluctantly, the four superheroes dropped Outcast and backed away. They had just turned about when a low voice muttered, "I don't want to, either."

"Eh?" Iron Man asked through his mask, his voice sounding robotic. "Who said what?"

They all spun around. Outcast was on his feet, his head held low but his silver eyes watching them warily. "You don't want to what?" Thor asked him.

"I don't want to hurt you, either. They make me do it."

"Wow, so now he can talk! This is getting better by the minute!" Iron Man chuckled.

"Be quiet, Tony," Black Widow said. She carefully walked up to Outcast. He allowed her to come to about three feet before he began to back up. Black Widow stopped; so did Outcast. "My name is Natasha. What's yours?"

"Outcast." Now he was beginning to look a bit shy.

"You don't have any other name?"

"No. Should I?"

"I think the name 'Derek' would suit you. Do you like it?" she asked him, picking out the first name that came to mind.

"Derek…" Outcast played with the name for awhile before saying glumly, "Yes."

The males in the Avengers team looked at each other. Running through all of their minds was the same thought. _Oh, boy. Nick is gonna kill us. _


	4. Prepare for Escape

The Avengers II – Chapter 4

Captain America grimaced when Natasha named Outcast, as did the others, but only Hulk had the audacity to groan loudly. Hawkeye quickly walked up to Natasha and asked quietly, "What the heck are you doing? He's not a pet that you can just name all of a sudden."

"No," she replied with a bite in her voice. "He's a boy who has been tortured and forced into doing something that he really doesn't want to do. I may be ruthless when it comes to fighting, but _Derek _is not an actual threat here. I think the real threat is Eagleflight 1."

"It's true," Iron Man said, strolling over to the twosome. "Besides, give the kid a break. After all, he is _just a kid_."

"I have seen more than all of you combined have," Derek said sharply. "Do not think that you can influence me, Anthony Stark." Tony backed off and whispered to Hulk, "Scary." Hulk nodded, but shifted back to Bruce Banner.

"It would appear that we require your assistance, Derek," Thor mused aloud. "Although I am not certain you would desire to help us. If you did, though, we would need you to help us get out of this renegade base."

"I will think about it," Derek said, softer this time. The Avengers turned and walked to the door. Before they were let out, though, Derek said, "I am sorry for hurting you, Natasha Romanov. I will not do it again."

Back in Thor's room, everyone gathered and sat around waiting. Natasha went into the tiny bathroom to fix her makeup. But Captain America contemplated intensely over the newfound knowledge that they had discovered. It appeared as if this boy, now going by the name of Derek, was their only way out. But how would they be able to release him from the mind block? That was the lone thing that stood in between them and escape. How could they… "Tony," the captain said abruptly. "If I could get you Outcast and a laboratory, could you remove the mental block that's holding him back?"

"Maybe," Tony said cryptically. "It all depends on the lab, now doesn't it?"

"Yes or no, Stark. I need an answer."

"Fine, don't get so touchy! Yes. I probably could. Why, are you planning something like that?"

"More or less. But first, I'm thinking that if Outcast has all the powers of any superhero, then he might be a 'technopath'. If so, we could get him to make our comlinks work again. Then we can contact Nick."

"True…" Hawkeye's voice came from behind them. The archer had snuck up on them again.

"Quit doing that!" Tony yelled.

"Sorry. So, all Natasha and I need to do is get _Derek_" Hawkeye said the word sullenly "out of his cell, bring him here, let Stark tinker in his brain awhile, and have him mess with our comlinks. Sounds simple enough. What do you say, tin man?" he addressed the glowering Tony.

"I say you keep your negative nicknames to yourself," Tony replied dryly. "I could name you a few things if I wanted. Yet I haven't."

"I seem to recall being called 'Legolas' once before. And at least I'm not in a can!"

"Would you…"

"Quiet!" Captain America shouted. "We need to focus on the matter at hand! I seriously wish you two would stop bickering. Now, let's get back to the real problem. Yes, you and Natasha need to try to get him. Tony, do you think you can work here or in a lab?"

"Well, I could try to work here. It might take a few minutes longer, but I could do it, I suppose," Tony muttered darkly, still feeling bad-tempered.

"Good. Natasha!" the captain called.

"Coming," she answered and walked into the room. Her scarlet hair was tied back and her weapons were all in place. Natasha looked ready for anything. "I'm all set. Hawkeye, let's go." In an instant, the two agents were gone.

"Ooo-kay, that was quick," Tony said. Bruce came in and asked, "Hey, guys, what's up?" By their sober faces he could tell that whatever the enigma was, it was not fun at all.

Black Widow and Hawkeye crept down the long hallway to Derek's cell. They knocked out the guards and entered in the most password that Captain America had given them. When the door opened, the two agents crept in. Derek's eyes flicked open, now the unnatural green again, but relaxed when he saw who it was. "Derek, we're going to get you out," Black Widow whispered. The teenager nodded and let them loose his restraints. As soon as he was free, he bolted. "Wait…" Hawkeye cried, but Derek was gone. "Nut," the archer said.

"Maybe he's going to…come on!" Black Widow told him. They ran back down to Thor's room and found Thor, Bruce, and Steve surrounding Derek. Tony wasn't in sight. "How did you know to come here?" Natasha asked Derek.

"I read your mind," Derek told her as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh," she said and remained near Hawkeye's side. Tony walked in then carrying something technology-related and said, "Derek, lie on the bed." Derek complied, and Tony carefully placed the tech on his head. "Okay, now this might…"

"Don't worry if it hurts me," Derek said fiercely, his ebony hair falling over his eyes.

"Are our thoughts not private in front of this boy?" Thor whispered to Captain America. Steve had walked to the end of the bed and was watching warily.

A translucent screen appeared over Derek's head, and Tony tapped on it for awhile. Apprehension rose when an image of the teenager's brain came up in place of the screen. Using great care, Tony reached into it. Derek writhed on the bed but remained silent. The billionaire/playboy very slowly brought out an image microchip out of the transparent brain, and Derek let out a small cry. His hand was rigid. Natasha took it and held Derek's hand. He gripped hard, but she didn't mind.

Everyone, even Thor, gasped when, out of the side of Derek's head from under his long hair came out the real microchip. It had the smallest bit of blood on it, and Derek twisted in agony. Tony let the screen down and grabbed the chip before it fell to the ground. "That could have killed him!" Steve cried.

"No," Tony said. "I figured that he'd most likely have the ability of regeneration, since Bruce pounded him but still we saw no wounds. That made me figure that out. So it gave us a much better, and quicker, way of taking this chip out." He studied the chip in his palm.

Natasha asked Derek, "Are you okay?"

"Mmm-hmm," he replied sluggishly. "My head still hurts, but it'll pass."

"Can you help us now?" Hawkeye asked quickly, impatient.

Derek nodded and stood up. "I can feel my absent power returning. We should go, before agents get here."

"All right," Captain America said. "Avengers, let's break out." They all nodded their agreement, and one-by-one jumped out of the window. They landed on the ground hard and watched Outcast leap. He landed gracefully in front of them and began to run aggressively; like a cheetah. They sprinted after him and prepared to battle for their freedom.


	5. Fight for Freedom

The Avengers II: Chapter 5

Captain America swung his shield and whacked the rogue agent across the jaw. The man dropped like a rock. Behind him, Hulk roared and smashed two agents together. Iron Man fired his repulsor blasts everywhere, Hawkeye was picking men off, and Thor swung his hammer fiercely. Outcast had thrown himself into the fight with energy beyond what all the Avengers would have combined. Already, dead or unconscious agents from Eagleflight 1 were littered on the ground from his rampage.

An agent rushed him and knocked him to the ground during the captain's daze. Pointing a gun at his face, the agent motioned for him to get up. Captain America promptly lifted his shield quickly and threw the agent to the ground, knocking him out cold. The captain lifted his hand to his helmeted head. He had knocked his head against the concrete when he was hit to the ground. Suddenly, Outcast appeared beside him and touched his head. The pain dissipated. "Thanks," Captain America said. Outcast nodded and was gone, emerging a half-mile away and throwing two agents to the ground that had Black Widow in their grasp.

Captain America continued to fight, but he managed to keep an eye on the others. Thor flew past him and fried many agents with lightning. But something was wrong. The renegade agents kept pouring out of the buildings, with what seemed like no end. Finally, Outcast's voice resounded through Captain America's mind, saying: _These are not real agents. The first ones were, but these are androids! Cut open the one at your feet! _The captain did as he was told and found not blood and gruesome intestines, but mechanical parts winking up at him in the bright sunlight. He wondered what was the heck was going on just before he heard a zapping sound and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

When Natasha Romanov awoke, she found herself in the huge training room where they had fought Derek. The Hulk was pounding on the walls, and Outcast threw himself against the walls many times, but they remained impenetrable. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were still on the ground, comatose. She shook them and slapped their faces until they woke up. "Wh—what?" Tony asked groggily and sat up.

"We're really being held prisoner. I'm not sure what to do. Even Hulk and Outcast can't break through these walls," she told him.

"Well, that's not good. Maybe I can…"

"I already tried to hotwire the door. So did Derek. Believe me, if he can't do it, you definitely can't," Natasha sighed. "But if they ever open the door, I think we might have a change. If we rush them, that is."

"Yeah." Tony got up and moved around. "We might be here awhile."

"There might be a way to destroy Eagleflight 1 once and for all," Derek said.

"How?" Captain America asked. Natasha noticed how he was now not the least bit suspicious of the teenage boy.

"Once, when I tried to escape, I saw a shut-down virus on a motherboard for the main computer. If I could feed that into the machine, then the whole thing would explode. You all would have to get out, though."

"Derek!" Natasha cried. "That's a suicide mission! You can't do it!"

"It's the only way, Natasha," he answered calmly. "None of you would be able to do it. You don't have the healing ability that I do." With that said, he shrank into the shadows and would not answer any of their pleas.

It was a long time before the rogue agents opened the door. When they did, Derek shifted into his Outcast persona and hissed, becoming invisible. Suddenly the agents heard a high-pitched scream and seized their heads. An unseen fist struck them and they dropped to the floor. Outcast became visible again and motioned the others to follow him. Natasha followed as he crept out of the training arena and then ran headlong down the corridor, leaping through a window. The glass flew around them, but the Avengers went after him and landed on the ground, rolling and moving to their feet.

Already, Outcast had rendered more android agents immobile and was racing toward the huge wall that separated them from freedom. Hulk ran after him. They both threw their fists against the wall and cracked it. Both hit it again and again until it finally crumbled. Outcast shooed Hulk out of Eagleflight 1 and ran back to the others, who were struggling against the robot agents. "Go!" he said and ripped the agents away from them, fighting to make a clear path for the team. Hesitantly, one by one, they ran or flew out of the broken wall and into freedom. But two of them remained behind, fighting beside Outcast. "Go!" he yelled again.

"No!" Captain America and Natasha said together. "No," Natasha said. "We won't leave you."

"You will go," he growled and picked both of them up as if they were lighter than air. He flew out of the compound and dropped them into Hulk's arms. Outcast went down and hovered near them. "I will be fine. Do not worry about me. Good-bye, Avengers!" he called and flew back, knowing that he had lied and exactly what his terrible fate would be.

**I know that this was pretty short, but I promise you that the last chapter, Chapter 6, will be interesting. Thanks for reading, and remember: An author's best friend is a reviewer! So please review, whether it's to say 'great' or 'horrible'! **


	6. Outcast's Dilemma

The Avengers II – Chapter 6

The ground shook beneath Outcast's feet as he landed. Immediately, the two nearest androids were crushed together and thrown at their companions. The agents were perplexed by the hail of parts, but gathered collectively and hurled themselves at him, firing machine guns and hand pistols. He compressed their guns and bashed them around, showing no mercy, even to the live agents who attacked.

Outcast had taken out most of the agents when a buzzing began in his ears, and then a shock of pain filled him and he fell to his knees. An man, carrying what looked like a pistol but probably was not, walked up to him and pressed the "trigger" again. This time, Outcast cried out and fell to the ground, blackness swallowing him.

He awoke to the buzzing sound again. It was dim, but still there. The man with the pistol walked slowly toward where Outcast lay. "Project Outcast, we meet again."

"Granger," Outcast muttered. "I thought you were gone for good." The rogue agent had apparently left Eagleflight 1, but now he was back.

"No, I would leave you here." Outcast noticed that he was in the computer room. This was where he had been planning to go all along! "I decided," Granger said slowly, "That it would be best if I did come back. But you let the Avengers get away. Tsk, tsk. Anyway, we'll track them down eventually. Did you really think that you could escape with them? You wouldn't be accepted out there, what with your so-called 'powers.' Who would want you? Think of your name. Just think of it. I'll be back."

Granger left, and Outcast found himself alone with his thoughts. He wondered where the Avengers were, if they had escaped to this Nick Fury safely. Suddenly, he knew what he could do. Stretching his consciousness, he sought for the one mind that he could take refuge in. The only mind that cared.

Natasha ran quickly beside Captain America and Bruce. Bruce had become himself again and was struggling to keep up. "Come on!" Hawkeye yelled from up front. "I think I can see a city nearby! Maybe we'll find a house!" So they continued racing along, with Thor and Iron Man flying above them.

Abruptly, a presence entered her mind. Natasha didn't stop running, but she did ask within herself on instinct, _Who are you? _

_It is I, _a mental voice said. _Outcast. _

_Are you safe? Are you coming after us? _

_Yes, I am safe, _he said, but the voice had hesitated before answering, so she knew that something was wrong. _But no, I am not coming after you. _

_Why not? _

_I do not belong with all of you. I need someone to talk to. May I talk to you? _

_Sure. What's up? _

_I would like to tell you about myself. It was May 26, 1739 that I was born. I grew up as a normal boy until I reached the age of seventeen. It was then that I was lost in a cave, and no one came after me. I found a gorgeous stone, smooth and colored like the setting sun. I touched it, and then I knew no more. After I awoke, which was quite awhile after, I found myself with strange abilities, such as supernatural strength and flight. I went back to my home, but… _Outcast paused and did not continue until Natasha prodded him on. _…I was not welcomed because of these powers. _

_So you are immortal? _Natasha asked, shocked.

_Not fully. I can be killed, but it would take quite a lot to do so. Are all of you safe? _The concern flooding through his voice surprised Natasha. After all, they had only met a couple of days ago and already he was worried about them.

_Yes. We're nearing a city. _Suddenly the presence was gone. _Outcast? Outcast? Derek? _

Granger had returned, and Outcast steeled himself for whatever torture might lie ahead. "Well, are you prepared to face consequences for your actions?" the agent asked Outcast. Outcast didn't answer. The stony silence around them seemed to unnerve Granger. "I see. All right, then." He motioned for two androids to bring in something. What they brought in was something that appeared to go over one's torso. They placed it over him, tapped on a keyboard on it, and backed away. Granger stepped up and whispered in Outcast's face. His breath smelled of garlic and lemons; really, a terrible smell in Outcast's opinion. "You know, I really do find pleasure in this." With that, he pressed a button.

Anguish.

Pain.

Agony.

Misery.

"I'm sending someone over to get you! Stay there!" Nick Fury's voice ordered over the now-working comlink. "Okay, guys, he's coming. We'll be back to base soon," Captain America told the others. They all visibly relaxed.

Steve noticed how Natasha was sitting, with her shoulders slumped and her hair covering her face. He walked over to her and sat down. "Is everything okay?" he asked softly.

"I'm afraid for Derek. They could be doing anything to him now!"

"If we hear an explosion soon, we'll know that he completed his mission. Then he might be able to follow us here." Natasha just shook her head, and Steve got up and moved away.

Tony came up to him. "So, Cap, what do you think we'll do now? That was quite an adventure."

"It's not over yet," Steve mumbled quietly.

Outcast thrashed against the tight, electricity-shooting bond around his chest. The pain was unbearable! Then he caught sight of the shut-down motherboard. If only he could break loose and put it in the computer…

The androids stood silently around him, and Granger's malevolent chuckle was all that he could hear. _I can break through them! _Outcast thought. _I can! _

"Ha!" Granger laughed. "Do you feel the pain? Yes, you outcast! That's all you'll ever be! Your name is Outcast!"

Suddenly, the Avenger's solemn faces invaded Outcast's mind, and he knew that now was the time. "No…" he snarled threateningly. "My name is _DEREK_!" With that, Derek broke through the constricting bond and crashed the androids together. Granger pulled out the "pistol," but Derek grabbed it and pounded it to metal bits. Then he grabbed the evil Granger by the throat, took the motherboard in his hand and shoved it into the computer. Pressing the _enter _key on the keyboard, he roared over the first grumbles of an explosion, "Let's die!"

The Avengers heard the explosion and cheered, but Natasha knew that Derek would've been in the city by then. He was gone.

Just then the plane came for the team, and they climbed aboard. Natasha took one last look at the smoking remains of Eagleflight 1, and then followed Thor into the plane, determined that whatever mission she had next would be for Derek, who was an outcast no longer.


	7. Epilogue

The Avengers II – Epilogue

The renegade agent, Granger, climbed over the smoldering concrete blocks. _Finally, Outcast is dead. But the Avengers remain! _

Abruptly, an unwavering hand reached out and grabbed his head, dashing it against the rocks. The final sight that Granger ever saw was Outcast rise out of the blocks, stone tumbling off his shoulders, and a fist coming fast upon him.

"That's for the Avengers," Derek said, and walked away, preparing to find the Avengers team and thank them. Then he would live out his life, and never be an outcast again.

**The End.**


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